Air-cushion for letter-boxes



(No Model. j

J; 8. GUT-141218.l A18-088111018808 LETTER BOXES.

UNITED STATES PATENT," rrrcn.

JAMES c. cUrLER, oF RooH-Esrnnpnnwvonx.

Ara-CUSHION (FOR .,I/ EYVTTEep-BOXES.

sPEcIPIcA'rIoNfo'rming part of Letters Patent No.`381',o5s, dated April 10.18881 d I Application filed July S, 1887. Seria] No).`243,758. Y(No model.)`

p To all whom it may concern.-

to the accompanying drawings.A

i ratus for lling or charging the aircushion, which apparatus is arranged to ybe operated Be it known 'that I, JAMEs G. Corman, of Rochester, Monroe county, New York,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AirGushions for Mail-Chutes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had by the movement of the door ofthe box when the collector gathers the mail. n

My improvements are fully described Aand illustrated in the following specification and accompanying drawings, the novel features thereof being specified in the claims annexed y-to the said specification..

r .My improvements in air-'cushions for letterboxes are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-s Figure 1 is a plan view, the box being indicated in dotted'lines. Fig.`2 is a `front elevation, showing also a portion of they mailchute. Fig. 3 is a section on lthe line' x, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a modification.

In the accompanying drawings representing my improvements, A is a letter-box of any preferred construction, which is provided with the air-cushion B', of rubber or any other suitable material.

projects downward a' stud .orpin, D, which carries an arm or segment, E, extending under the box, and` operating the piston of an airpump,vby means of suitable connections, when it receives motion from the opening or closing of the door C. The arm Eis preferably a segment of a circle and moves in guides F, attached to the bottom of the box.

To the inner end of thesegment or arm E f is pivoted a suitable connection, J which trans,-

mits motion to the piston G ofthev air-pump. X

The box A is provided with the door C, from the lower part of which there The cylinder H of the-air-pump -issecured to the under side of the mail-box', and connected` by a suitable tube, L,'with 'thel air-cushion in- I55 side the box. The piston Gis provided with 7 a suitable valve, which opens as the piston moves outward, so as toadmit air back of the piston, andiwhich closes as the piston begins l its return movement, so that asthe door of. the=16o f -box is closed Vby the collector the air lbefore" the piston is driven out through the'tube into the air-cushion, so as tointlate the latter or` maintain the supply of air therein. l y

The tube L, connecting the cylinder Hand 615 the air-cushion B, isprovided with a'suitable check-valve vto prevent theescape of air from y thecushion. .The valves are preferably arranged so as to close by gravity, and a cap, yN,

carrying astufting-box-through whichthepi's-- 7o tonrod passes, may be` attached to "thegair-A l cylinder. A valve opening inward should in this case ybe appliedto the cap.

Inorder to prevent the escape of air lfrom f' 'I 'l the cushion during any long period in'which 75' n y the door is not opened, through any accidental n leakage through thevalves,.a cocker.; valve may .be inserted in the pipe L.; f

In order to provide for adj Listing, the amount of motion given the pistonG by the swinging Eo of the `mail-box-door, I formy on the; end of. the segment E the slotted arm I; extending ray d ially inward.. The end of. the connection` J can be moved on this arm toward-thegcenter of the segment, as shown at J', and'secured in 85 place by a suitable clamp `or thumb-screw, i thereby lessening the throw of the piston, as

Vindicated by the dotted lines Gf G. By this means the amount of air forced into 4the cushion'maybe, lessened, so asto prevent-over- 9o charging when the door is frequently opened, as would be the case where the collections of l mail from the box are madefrequently.

From the foregoingy description the opera-f` *l tion of my improved device will be readily ,'95, understood. lVhenr the door .of the box Vis opened, the pistonGof thecylinderHis drawn out and the air passesinto the cylinder through Y the valve in the piston, the checkgvalve in the outlet-tube preventing the air in 'lthecushi'on roc from followingthe piston. Asthe door closes, the piston is forced in and the air before it raises the check-valve and enters the cushion.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modilicationof my j. *l

device, in which a exible bulb, K, is compressed b'y the closing of the door. A plate is secured to the end of the segment, so as to compress the bulb K against a suitable seat formed for it on the bottom of the mailbox. The bulb is made of rubberor other suitable material, and provided with inlet and outlet valves and connected to the air-cushion, so that the air contained in the. bulb may be forced into the cushion when the door of the box is closed. 4

Any suitable means may be employed for adjusting the amount of compression given the bulb-as, for instance, the device shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, where the segment' is made in two pieces secured together by a thumb-screw, so that the length of the segment is adjustable, and the amount of compression given the bulb thereby may be varied.

Itis obvious that various modifications `of my device may be substituted for the arrangement herein described-as,for instance, the pump may be arranged to force air into the cushion on the opening of the door; or the connecting-rod J or the piston-rod may be directly attached to the door without the intervention of the quadrant.

If desired,an auxiliary air-pump may be arranged on the apparatus, by which the cushion may be inflated,if it becomes necessary, between the visits of the collector.

By means of my invention the air-cushion in the mail-box. whichserves to break the fall of any mail matter or parcels inserted in the mailchute,is kept continually inflated or distended by the action of the collector in opening or closing the-door of the box.

I claiml. The combination, with a mailbox provided with an interior aircushion, of means, substantially as described, for intlating the cushion, operated by the opening or closing of the door of the box, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. rlhe combination, with a mailbox provided with an interior air-cushion and a movable door, of an air-forcing device connected to the air-cushion and arranged to be operated by the movement of the door, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a mail-box provided with an interior air-cushion and a movable door,of an air-cylinder,H, communicating with the air-cushion and provided with piston G,and suitable connecting mechanism,whereby the movement of the door is transmitted to the piston, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the descending tube of a mail-chute, of the mail-box A, provided with an interior air-cushion anda movable door, and a suitable air-forcing device adapted to inflate the air-cushion and arranged to be operated by the door of the box, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the mailbox A, provided withV hinged door B and air-cushion C, ofar-pump H,connecting pipe and valve L, and suitable connecting mechanism, whereby the piston of the pump is operated from the door, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the mail-box A, provided with aircushion B and movable door C,ofa suitable air-forcing apparatus connected to the air-cushion, and adjustable connecting mechanism between the door and the said apparatus, whereby thevolu'me of air delivered to the cushion may be varied, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the mail-box A, provided with air-cushion B and door` C, of the air-cylinder H, pipe L, piston G, connection J, and segment E, substantially as described.

8. The combination, withH the mail-box A, air'cushion B,and door C, ofthe segmentE,-having radial extension I, and connection J, adjustable thereon and arranged to communicate motion from the doorto an air-forcing apparatus adapted to inflate the air-cushion, substantially as described.

9. The combination, with the mail-box A, provided with interior air-cushion,B,and movable door C, of a suitable air-forcing apparatus connected with the air cushion, arranged to be operated by the movement of the door, and located beneath the mailbomsubstantially as described.

. VJAMES G. CUTLER.

Witnesses:

GEO. B. SELDEN, H. G. PHILLIPS. 

